JAZZ REVIEW : Here’s Proof Bad Habitz Can Be Good for You : T Lavitz and his talented group kick off a weekly jazz series at Papa G’s with their sophisticated yet up-close performance.

The new Thursday night jazz series at Papa G’s got off to an auspicious start this week with keyboardist T Lavitz (who also forgoes the period after the initial in his name) and his trio, the Bad Habitz. Lavitz, best known as a former member of the Dixie Dregs, focused on tunes from his new album, “Mood Swing.” But while the album alternates acoustic numbers (something new for Lavitz) with electronic instrumentals, the group stuck with electric keys and bass, further powered by drummer Ray Brinker’s highly charged attack.

Papa G’s--a softly lit room in the Hyatt Regency Alicante, with rows of narrow, linen-covered tables and a bar that separates it from an adjacent dining room--might seem an unlikely location for this kind of high-powered music. But its acoustics were direct and revealing; each member of the trio was clearly audible. The tiny bandstand and its mirrored backing were visible from every seat. Dare we say it? T and G seem made for each other. (Lavitz and the Bad Habitz continue at Papa G’s on Thursdays through May 9.)

This wasn’t the standard fusion gig: There was no relentless, high-decibel noodling played over one- and two-chord vamps. Instead, Lavitz and company explored involved terrain, presenting engagingly patterned, tightly executed numbers with lots of tonal and dynamic variation. The band showed much of the same sophistication of Weather Report back when it was anchored by Jaco Pastorius, before it became a showcase for Joe Zawinul’s ethnic influences.

The set opened with a shifty medley of Lavitz originals with environmentally conscious titles, “Trash Park” and “Tree People.” Standing at a pair of keyboards, his jeans tucked neatly into his loose-laced high-tops, Lavitz worked clean, bell-like tones over bassist Tom Lilly’s assertive groove, then switched to a piping-hot organ sound for his long, right-hand lines.

After a sudden, dramatic moment of silence, the piece moved into a flowing bass statement pushed by Brinker’s cymbal ride. Lavitz rocked back and forth, adding low-end dimension with his left hand while pulling and stretching the melody with his right.

“A Dream Come True,” heard in an acoustic version on the new recording, found Lavitz romping through a major-key, feel-good theme, followed by a solo studded with staccato chords placed neatly just in back of the beat. Brinker, backed by Lilly’s thumb-induced bass pops, got into the act with clean double-times on one cymbal, contrasted with shimmering breaks on a second.

Choral effects and celestial chording set up the familiar bass line to Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints,” the only tune heard during the set that Lavitz did not write. Lavitz’s heat-seeking missile of an improv gave way to an explosive solo by Brinker that chilled back with some cool cymbal work. “A Slice of Life” skirted close to be-bop before Lavitz jumped out with a quick quote from trumpeter Eddie Harris’ nearly 30-year-old anthem, “Freedom Jazz Dance.”

Despite the programmed percussion during his otherwise-unaccompanied “Tears,” Lavitz didn’t let technology overshadow inspiration. Working a classic, Fender Rhodes piano sound, he served up some bluesy, down-home cooking without ever losing sight of the tune’s tender feel. Lavitz also deserves credit for his relaxed between-tune banter (“We were going to call the new album ‘Chemical Imbalance,’ ” he said at one point, “but the label didn’t think that was commercial enough”), which made the up-close performance even more intimate.

T Lavitz & the Bad Habitz play in Papa G’s at the Hyatt Regency Alicante, 100 Plaza Alicante, Garden Grove, Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. through May 9. Tickets: $7. Information: (714) 971-3000.